The Legend of Zelda: The Moonlight Chronicles
by Wotcha Scamp
Summary: With the support of Link, Princess Zelda alters time drastically by removing Ganondorf from their world. But how will the world cope without such an influence having never existed? What changes will take place? Will Link be able to live a normal life? Just who is the mysterious child that Link befriends? This story follows Link as he lives his life over again in an era of peace.
1. Chapter 1

**Note:** _This story is very, very old. I originally wrote it back when Ocarina of Time came out, before Majora's Mask and all of the following games. While reading this, please remember that for this fic-those games don't matter. Please know that the chapters may come out slowly, but please enjoy them when they do~I didn't exactly read over this chapter after re-writing it so please forgive me for any typos!  
_

* * *

Link watched the princess before him study the blue ocarina that she had given him. "I don't know what will happen if we do this." He said nothing and she didn't expect him to. "Everything could change, that is, except the both of us." Slowly, she looked up at him. "I don't know what will come from our decision." Link bowed his head. "We will be the only people to remember the events that took place."

"And what of Ganondorf?"

"Everything that happened to bring him into our world will be undone. He will have never existed in our time." The princess took a deep breath. "I think this may be the right thing to do. We cannot afford to waste such a precious chance. I refuse to let history repeat itself."  
Link looked up at the troubled princess. "Then why are you afraid?"

Their eyes met and instantly, Link knew the reason. "I am afraid of what evil may rise to take Ganondorf's place." She shook her head and once more stared down at the ocarina. "We cannot stand here contemplating our decisions forever." Princess Zelda gripped the ocarina tightly and brought it to her chest. "No matter what, find me. You _must_ come to me again. We have to ready ourselves for whatever changes may transpire."

Link slowly nodded in reply.

"It is time to return home, Link. We must regain our lost time!"

* * *

Link stared at the entrance to the Kokiri Forest. His ears still rang from the lullaby that the princess played before he was blinded by a bright light. He looked over his child body and sighed heavily. What exactly did this mean? Would he have a normal life?_ Could_ he have a normal life? Would there be evil to replace Ganondorf or would their world live in peace?

Though he took a step forward, Link immediately looked over his shoulder at the castle in the distance. Tomorrow, he would make his way back into the castle to meet with the princess. He wondered how this would affect his world...his life... 

* * *

Many people would kill to have a second chance at their life; to do things differently. At first, Link felt the same, but a year later, Link almost missed his previous life. It was now obvious to the Kokiri that Link was not one of them and to make matters worse, he still could not find the dear friend that he had lost upon his return. Without Navi by his side, Link felt more lonesome than ever before. It didn't help that he had alienated most of the Kokiri children with his "sudden" knowledge of combat skills.

Though he was supposed to reunite with the princess the day following his return to his childhood, Link had stalled, fearing that it was just too soon to start worrying about a threat they knew nothing of. The princess, however, didn't allow him to stay away. Of all people, she had sent Impa to deliver a summons. How amazed she was with the Kokiri Forest, the children and their small homes. Link had been forced to return with Impa and after a small meeting, the princess had convinced Impa that Link was a friend to be trusted. Though Impa believed her princess, Link could tell she was still skeptical. Over the following year, he and the princess didn't notice any immediate changes. In fact, without Ganondorf by her father's side, her father was able to rule Hyrule peacefully without threat from anyone.

Link sighed softly and looked over the glistening water of Lake Hylia. The princess had amazed her people with her over-night maturity and knowledge. They respected her as though she were already queen. Even so, they didn't seem convinced that Link should _already_ be part of the royal guard, and so he became a squire—living between the Kokiri Forest and a small room behind the royal stables. The truth was, he could have always lived at the castle, but the room behind the stables was no bigger than his _house _and it smelled far worse. Not to mention, being a squire wasn't exactly fun. He was more of a glorified errand boy that shoveled manure most of the time. Sadly, he couldn't complain. The job put rupees in his pocket and allowed him to buy things that he couldn't before: gifts for the Kokiri children, nicer clothes for himself.

He even managed to make friends with Malon and her father again, which—he found—was probably the highlight of returning to his childhood. Once again, he bonded with Epona and he knew that without Ganondorf in the world, Ingo would never take over the ranch, which meant he would have to find another way to acquire his trusty horse.

Link's eyes drifted to the dark sky above him. Lightning danced from cloud to cloud, followed shortly by thunder. With a grunt, he climbed down the ladder of the gate and slowly walked toward the bridge. The lake was never more comforting than when it was storming. If he could, he'd build himself a house right on the lake. He glanced at the fishery. It was too bad he couldn't make that place into his home. Link froze mid-step as he heard a whimper. Slowly, he looked around, then strained his ears. Thunder roared overhead and this time, he heard a sob. Curious, Link quietly made his way around the side of the laboratory. Huddled up against the wall of the laboratory was a small girl. She was bundled up in an over-sized cloak and all he could see of the girl was her pointed ears and silver hair. Her hair looked just like moon light.

Hesitantly, Link reached out to the girl, but as soon as he placed his hand upon her shoulder, she spun around. Neither of them said anything as they stared into each others eyes. Uncertain of what he should do or even say, Link froze again. The tears that seeped from her ruby red eyes fell silently, without a sob or even a sniffle. Her eyes were fierce at first, but after a moment, she closed them and her bottom lip began to tremble.

Rain suddenly began falling from the cloudy sky and once more, thunder roared overhead. The girl whimpered again, throwing herself against him as she wrapped her arms tightly around his torso. Link did the only thing that he could do: he hesitantly embraced her held her until she released him.

Eyes downcast, the girl sniffled and wiped her nose on the over-sized cloak that she wore. His throat had tightened. He didn't know what to say to the girl. What _could_ he say to her without her asking him the same thing? Slowly, she looked up at him and with a soft voice, she whimpered out, "I'm sorry."

Link shook his head. Her skin was dark, but not quite as dark as a Gerudo's. He wondered, was this girl here before and he hadn't noticed? How could he have not noticed someone as peculiar looking as this girl? Even if there were people he didn't know in Hyrule, he was certain she would have stood out. Part of him wondered if this girl was a direct result of Ganondorf no longer being part of this world.

Link bit the inside of his cheek. He didn't want to think about the possibilities.

Finally, he asked, "Why are you here?" It was strange for him to ask such a question. Normally, he didn't talk much. In fact, he only talked when he had to. Actually, most people seemed fine with doing all the talking themselves.

The girl blinked several times and looked away from him. "I was taken away." When she said nothing else, Link realized he wouldn't get much else out of her. She looked back at him and murmured, "What's your name?"

"Link."

"My name is Arelis," she replied, her voice took a pitch that—for some reason—reminded him of Navi. "Please," tears welled up in her eyes, "Don't leave me. I don't want to be alone."

She cowered as lightning illuminated the entire sky. "Don't you have a home?" Link asked softly. As if having to think about it, the girl shook her head in reply. The loud boom of thunder made the girl whimper loudly. "I think the rain may get worse," he said softly. Though he was unaffected by the thunder, he was sincerely concerned about his new friend. "If you want, you can come home with me." She didn't reply. "I live in the forest with lots of other children like me." Feeling entirely awkward, Link held his hand out to her. "You can stay with me until we find your home."

The girl blinked twice before she slowly smiled and grabbed his hand. She was just a bit shorter than he was, but overall, appeared to be around the same age as himself. After the climb over the gate between Lake Hylia and the Hyrule Field, the two set off for the Kokiri Forest. It was only after Arelis complained about her feet hurting that he realized that she wasn't wearing any shoes...and after a bit of a look, he wondered if she was wearing anything under her cloak, which was clearly meant for an adult.

Catching him looking at her, Arelis quickly explained, "The lady bathed me. My clothes were too filthy to put back on." She paused for a moment before she repeated, "She took me away from the other lady; the mean one." The girl's eyebrows furrowed as her eyes filled with tears again. "The more I try to remember, the more I forget."

Link frowned. He felt uncomfortable and awkward. He wanted to comfort her, but he didn't really know how. As he opened his mouth to reply, the rain instantly became worse. The girl groaned and pulled her cloak tighter around her body.

"Come on," Link said, nearly having to shout over the sounds of the storm. He held his hand out to the girl and together, the two of them made their way to the nearest shelter. The two children were soaked as they crossed the threshold of Lon Lon Ranch. Link contemplated knocking on the door of the ranch house, but refrained and instead, sought shelter from the storm within the barn. Link supressed a grin as he found lit lanterns hanging from the ceiling within the barn. With this storm, he knew Malon wouldn't want the animals to be frightened. Silently, he thanked her and the two of them made their way to the one stall that was empty.

When Link looked at Arelis, he found her struggling with her one item of clothing. The cloak, being so large and drenched, was heavy and from the looks of it, it was also uncomfortable. "Wait here," he said softly, which earned a soft moo from the nearest cow.

Link walked out of the stall, only to look around the barn for anything suitable for his friend to wear. Finally, he found the one thing that would do: an empty and relatively clean potato sack. He made certain to shake it several times before he cut holes for her arms and head. When he returned to the stall, Arelis wiped her wet hair out of her face and smiled at him. "It's perfect!" she chirped, not caring that it was a potato sack.

Link merely handed it to her and once more, stepped out of the stall. He kept his back to the stall's opening and smiled. It felt good to do something nice for someone again. It felt even better to be taking care of someone that sincerely needed help.

"You can come in now," she called out. As soon as he peered into the stall, she gave him a large, toothy smile. "It's _puh-erfect_, Link!"

Link chuckled as he made his way to the large pile of hay and sat down beside her. "When morning comes, we'll go to the castle and see if we can get you some help."

Arelis seemed confused. "I thought I was going home with you."

The disappointment in her voice made Link feel bad for some reason. "I-I," he shrugged, "I thought we could see the princess and maybe figure out where your family is."

Arelis blinked a few times as she stared at him. "The lady told me I have no more family," she muttered. "I don't understand." She shook her head and groaned. "My head hurts so much."  
"Don't think about it right now," Link told her. "Tomorrow, we can figure it all out."

Arelis pouted as she looked at him. "Link...don't leave me, okay?"

Link's eyes widened. "Why would I leave?"

"Everyone leaves me," she said softly. Link was surprised to see the lack of emotion in the girl's eyes. "I can remember that."

Link grabbed the girl's hand and squeezed it gently. "I won't leave you, Arelis. ...I promise, I won't." The girl smiled, shimmied her way closer to him, and reclined into the hay. With a soft sigh, the girl's eyes closed. Link mimicked her, but before closing his eyes, he studied her peaceful face. Whatever happened, he hoped he could help her.

Link quickly fell asleep beside the girl, but the sleep was restless. That night, he dreamed of his previous life and relived all its horrors and when he woke, he was alone in the barn with the animals without any sign of Arelis. He immediately questioned Malon, her father, and even Ingo, but they didn't know anything about the little girl. Feeling helpless and defeated, Link returned to the stall. All that was left of his precious new friend was the over-sized cloak that she had been wearing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: **_Some of you may notice some Skyward Sword influence within this chapter ^_~ There will be more on that with the next chapter. I know there are a lot of questions about Arelis floating around right now, but please be patient. Everything will come to light eventually.  
_

* * *

"Good morning, princess!"

"Good morning, princess!"

"Morning, princess!"

"Mommy, there's the princess!"

Zelda nodded, smiled, waved, and greeted everyone...mostly by first name. She asked about family members, health conditions, or about their jobs. Link couldn't believe that the princess had gotten to know each of her citizens so very well. Link looked at several of the people that had gathered around to greet or merely watch their princess. Out of the crowd, he recognized two people: Talon and a woman he referred to as: The Cucco Lady.

Link forced back the annoyance he felt with himself and instead, focused on walking in sync with the other guard. Though much had changed in his new adult life, it also felt as though very little changed. He supposed the differences were minor, yet still important. The King still reigned over Hyrule and as such, he created an elite guard to protect himself and his precious daughter. Funny enough, their uniforms weren't much different from the very same clothes that he wore in his previous life. When on official business, like today, the Elite Guard wore green tunics over a tunic of chainmail. Their gloves, boots, braces, and single pauldron were composed of thick leather with decorated platemail to reinforce it. All were equipped with weapons and items necessary to not only protect the royal family, but to also aid them in simple tasks.

Link looked around at his stony faced companions. The two that walked in front of the princess was Eril, their commander, and Peris, the second in command. The two that walked to the right of the princess was Rook, the over confident meat-head, and his good friend, Cralen. To the left of the princess was Rook's twin sister, Bishop, and Rook's other friend, Spints. Bringing up the rear was Ferrin, a clutz, and Kilani. Kilani smiled at him when she caught him looking at her. Kilani was like a sister to him and he actually enjoyed her company, whereas Peris _thought_ he was Link's older brother, and attempted to boss him around as such.

In a sense, these people had become Link's new family. Like the Kokiri children, he interacted with these people every day. He smiled back at Kilani, then turned his attention back on the road. Link always walked beside the princess. If there was one thing Zelda fought for, it was to keep Link close. With everything the two went through together, Zelda refused to grow distant from him. It was because of this bond that many assumed that the princess and he were romantically involved. The corner of Link's mouth twitched. How many times did Rook try to beat him up because of that?

The truth was, Zelda truly felt like a sister to him, more so than Kilani. He knew all of her secrets and she knew most of his. At first, it was up to Link to help Zelda continue her training as Sheik, but one slip up and Impa was soon included in that training. Quite frankly, Link was pleased. He didn't enjoy going hand to hand with the princess and after all, Impa obviously knew more about the way of the Sheikah than he did.

Upon entering the stone halls of the castle, the princess sighed softly. She hated being escorted everywhere, but understood the reason why. Living in an era of piece didn't mean that they were completely safe...then again, Link did feel that nine guards were a bit overkill for a simple visit to Kakariko village. "You are dismissed," Zelda told them softly. Whereas the other eight came to a stop and knelt before their future queen, he continued walking by Zelda's side. Impa shot him a grin, which he returned with one of his own. Rook and his two friends hated that and everyone knew it.

They finally came to a stop inside the throne room, where the King looked up from the map table and smiled. "Did your visit quench your thirst for adventure, daughter?"

"Hardly, father," she replied with a smile. Impa and Link came to a stop several feet away from the table as the princess approached her father, kissing him upon his rosy cheek.

The King chuckled and with a smile, he tapped the scroll upon the table three times. Zelda looked over the paperwork and with wide eyes, she looked up at her father. "They're considering a treaty? But why?"

"_Daughter_, this is _good_ news! Our tradesmen will not have to suffer from their attacks anymore." Link perked up, curious as to what the scrolls upon the table were about. "You missed them by an hour at most. Their intentions seem pure."

"How can you be certain, father? We have offered them so much without anything but their loyalty in return and they have always refused. Why now?" Zelda's brows came together as she frowned and turned her eyes upon the scroll.  
"I never said that I fully trust them, daughter. But they are desperate for help and as I said, their intentions seem pure." The large, burly man gently pulled on the scroll, placing his finger in one specific spot. "It appears that this tunnel has had a major cave in, cutting off the Gerudo from their primary water source. Their messanger has stressed that even with as often as they visit the lake, they simply cannot get enough drinking water, much less water for their horses—"  
"_Our_ horses," Impa muttered.  
"—or for their gardens. They are running low on many supplies now and do not know what to do."

The Princess shook her head. "I don't believe this for one second, father. Were this true, we would be experiencing floods and that hasn't happened."

The King nodded and stroked his beard, "I understand your concern, Zelda. Even I questioned them about it. They believe the water may be going elsewhere. The messenger insisted that even they checked for flooding on our end. At first, they thought we did something. They also lost several of their best workers in an attempt to remedy their situation."  
The princess gave him a harsh look before her eyes returned to the scroll. He wondered if she was thinking the same thing that he was: that this was awfully suspicious, what with her father's recent and secret illness. "If it is help that they want, then it is help that they'll get. We'll send our best workers to remedy the situation."

"I agree that we should do just that, but," he shrugged, "I wouldn't mind opening trades with them."

The princess flushed with horror and quickly began reading the scroll. Link almost laughed when she found the section that had details of the trade between their people. She gasped, clenched the scroll with both hands and brought it close to her face. Link glanced at Impa, only to find her grinning. She winked at him and both turned their attention back to the princess and her father. "They want you to go there and see for yourself?!" Zelda slammed the parchment back onto the table. Her eyes narrowed and her lips formed a tight line. Link knew that look. She wasn't just angry, she was insulted. "They couldn't have been more polite? And do they think we'll be so stupid as to send just you, considering their stance against men?"

"Daughter," the king placed his hand upon her shoulder. "Imagine what good could come from this."

"Imagine what they'll do if you show up by yourself!" she quipped back.

The King sighed. "Daughter, I am old, but I am not an old fool. I do intend to bring my soldiers. They will be right outside of their fortress and believe me, if anything should go wrong, they'll be by my side instantly. I have a good feeling about this, daughter. Truly. You did not meet with the messenger, I did."

The princess frowned. "If you are insistent upon this, father, then I demand to go with you."

Link expected the King to refuse and possibly get angry, as he normally did, but he chuckled instead and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I intended to bring you, Impa, and Link. I have already gotten permission from the messenger. I assure you, daughter, they are far more nervous about this treaty than we are."

"Perhaps," Zelda gave her father a weak smile. "But I trust you," she told him. She turned to Link with the same smile. "Link, would you join me in the garden?"

Link only nodded in reply. Impa shook her head, "More secrets," she muttered. Zelda gave her father one more kiss upon his cheek, and then together, the two left for the garden. It was only after the two were alone that Zelda sighed loudly. "He's being careless."

Link shrugged. "I don't know. The Gerudo trusted us before. I don't know why they wouldn't again, especially if they are that dangerously low on water."

"I just don't feel right about it," she frowned.

"Do you think she'd actually double cross your father?"

Zelda shrugged, "I don't know."

Link looked around for a bit, then sighed softly. Then it occurred to him, "Nabooru is a Sage."

"_I_ know that. _We_ know that. _She_ doesn't, Link. We don't know what she's like, now that the world has changed. Remember, she was only second in command to Ganondorf. Now that he doesn't exist," she shrugged, "there's no telling what she's like as the ruler of the Gerudo."

"Exactly," Link said, gaining a questioning stare from Zelda. "This might actually work. More than once, when you weren't certain of a situation, you wore weapons beneath your gown. Do the same this time around if you aren't comfortable."

She looked at the moat as if contemplating his words and her cautiousness. She then smiled and said, "I thought that this time...I wouldn't lose my father."

"There's nothing saying you will," Link replied, hoping that brought her some sort of comfort. "He may recover. He's been feeling better since he started taking the medicine that the old crone made. _And_ who knows...without the evil influence of Ganondorf, maybe Koume and Kotake can help him. The Gerudo are known for their medicine."

Zelda immediately looked up at him. "Maybe you're right." Link shrugged, but Zelda smiled. "We can hope for the best, can't we?"


	3. Chapter 3

"You _are_ taking good care of her, aren't you?" Link smiled as he placed his head against Epona's.

"Of course I am!" Malon snapped, clearly insulted by the question. "How can you ask such a thing?"

"How can you fall for such a question?" When Link looked over his shoulder at her, Malon's lips formed into a tight line as her face turned the shade of her hair. "You're too easy to tease," he chuckled.

Malon sighed loudly as she crossed her arms. "I don't know why you continuously bring her back. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love seeing her and I'll always be willing to take care of her. It's just that it's not safe. The Gerudo have stolen all but our infant horses and their mothers."

Link looked around at the nearly empty field. "I can assure you, they're being cared for."

But Malon didn't appear to believe him. Instead, a sadness filled her eyes. "We've done everything we can to stop them. Just last night, they managed to steal several chickens and a cow. How can that be? We are paying so much to have guards stand by and yet, the thieves are still getting what they want. Do you know how much money we've poured into protecting our ranch?"

The walls of the ranch were taller and lined with thick bales of hay while the gates were composed of a thicker metal and stronger locks. Even the barn door had a sturdier door. Two guards now stood just inside of the ranch, though they appeared as though they were sleeping. "Sometimes, I wish you would just stay here. I know if anyone could protect us, it would be you."

Link smiled at her again. He knew he could tell her of the troubles the Gerudo were having, but it would do little to comfort her. "We'll get them back." How crushing it was to see the doubt on Malon's face. "I promise."

She put on a fake smile and forced back the tears. "_Anyway_," she paused for a moment as she composed herself. "Why are you still bringing her back? I thought you secured a stall for her in the royal stables?"

Link frowned. "I think at this point, I trust the thieves more than some of my own comrades."

Malon immediately grew angry, "Rook and his goons are still harassing you?"

Link slipped his hand into Epona's mane, running his fingers through it. The horse immediately seemed pleased with the attention. "They do what they can to state their displeasure at my closeness with the princess."

When he glanced at Malon, he found her studying the pendant on her scarf. "You are awfully close to her." That tone of hers was becoming quite normal these days. "I mean," she immediately looked up at him and dropped her hands by her sides, "I don't approve of what they're doing to you...but maybe if she didn't keep _you_ so close, they wouldn't feel unappreciated."

It was Link's turn to look away. It had only been a few months since Malon had revealed her feelings for him. While that night was quite beautiful and it was definitely romantic, what with the full moon and fresh blossoms, Link just didn't view Malon that way. It hurt him to see her so devastated. It only made him feel even more guilty when he spoke to her father. He could have handled that situation better if Talon had been angry. Instead, Talon was clearly disappointed that Link had refused his daughter's love. Since then, their friendship had been strained.

"The princess is like a sister to me," he repeated, as he often did when defending his bond with her.

"A very precious sister," she snapped. "I know, Link. You don't have to remind me. I just hope you aren't still chasing after ghosts, because one day you're going to wake up and realize that all you have is guardianship."

Link blinked several times, thoroughly shocked by Malon's outburst. She turned crimson and without saying another word, she stormed away. "Bye," he said softly. With a sigh, Link mounted Epona and made his way out of the ranch. He decided, if he could get anything out of this treaty, it would be the return of the farm animals that the thieves stole. It was the least he could do for such a heart broken girl.

But as he rode Epona toward the castle, Link couldn't help but think that maybe something was wrong with him. Why did he have _no_ romantic feelings toward...anyone? He never even had his first crush, whereas Zelda at least found Peris attractive and even Rook, to an extent. He didn't know if it had something to do with the fact that he had to live his life over or if he sincerely had no interest. _"I just hope you aren't still chasing after ghosts."_ That sentence bothered him.

After the disappearance of the girl from the lake, Link had only talked to three people about her: Zelda, Malon, and Saria. All three thought he was dreaming, but as Zelda got older, she believed that the appearance was merely was coincidence. With Ganondorf having never been born, there were many new citizens, especially people around their age. He wondered what happened to the girl, whose name he had shamefully forgotten. His heart ached each time he thought of her. The girl had been so alone.

Before he could think anymore about the girl, Link forced himself to focus on anything else. Thankfully, all of the guards selected by the king were already in formation outside of the castle. "Bet you think you're something special," Rook's annoying voice immediately put him in a bad mood. "Look at him, just sitting on that mangy horse."

Link found the oafish redhead standing next to a gate guard with his two friends: Cralen and Spints. The lanky Spints guffawed stupidly at Rook's comment while the short and slightly pudgy Cralen merely watched Link. Out of the three, Cralen was the least annoying. "Don't you three," he included the guard, "think it's strange that our Princess keeps _him_ so close? Why is he an 'Elite Guard,' if he's only elite at being a lapdog?"

Cralen joined in on the laughter this time. Even a few guards smirked at Rook's attempt at insulting him. Link would have responded to him, but instead, Link steered Epona to take their appropriate position. The princess, her father, and Impa were just beginning to cross the bridge, which brought an immediate silence to the other trio. Those three saluted and bowed respectively and with several farewells and good lucks from the crowd that followed them, the entire party was off.

"Having a good chat with your buddy?" Impa said with an all-too-knowing grin.

Link grinned back, "Like always."  
The ride wasn't bad. It was longer than he remembered, but that was probably due to the fact that when he was alone, he was far more focused on his tasks. He didn't need to know the land to know how close or far they were from their destination. The seemingly constant rise in temperature made their progress clear. He instantly felt bad for Zelda as beads of sweat dripped down her face. He was certain that being heavily armed beneath her gown was only adding to her discomfort. She shifted her position on her horse and wiped the sweat away from her face. So much for looking prim and proper, he thought to himself.

When the earth turned barren and the heat stayed at a constant level, Link knew they were coming closer. "Impa, will you fall behind to remind the men of their duties? We don't want this to go wrong in any possible way."

"Of course, Your Highness," Impa pulled her horse to the side as they continued at a slow pace. Two by two, they crossed the bridge connecting the main land to the Gerudo territory. It was then that they saw just how honest the Gerudo messenger was being: the lake was almost completely dry. What water remained was stagnant and muddy.

"This doesn't look good," the princess murmured to her father. Her father nodded once, keeping his eyes forward. As their soldiers dispersed, the three continued and finally came to a stop just outside of the very path that took them straight to the Gerudo Fortress. As if sensing their gaze, Link looked up at two Gerudo women standing upon a rocky cliff, both were armed and ready to attack if necessary. Another raised a flag into the air and waved it with her back to them. "They're notifying the others of our arrival." Link was certain that they were surrounded, but his eyes stayed glued to the flag carrier.

When she lowered the flag, she slowly walked to the edge and hopped down. Link almost smiled at seeing the familiar purple outfit and bright yellow gems. "We have another joining out party," Zelda said to the guard. "_She_ will join us after she speaks to our soldiers."

The guard merely nodded and looked away, searching for the other woman. As the trio continued on, Link managed to get a good look at the thief that waved them in. From what he could see of her, she looked sickly and weak. With a glance at the princess, he knew that she took notice of it as well. "We should have brought water," Zelda whispered.

"No," her father whispered back. "If they want our help or our supply of water, they need to sign the treaty."

"I've never seen them this way," she murmured.

The king chuckled, "When have you ever seen them?" The princess fell silent. They rode their horses until they came around the bend where they were met by three, purple clad females. Each took the reigns of their horses while a fourth waited patiently for Impa's arrival.

"Welcome," said a familiar voice. "Please allow my guards to bring your horses to the stables. They will be taken care of, I assure you." Link was pleased to see that little had changed about Nabooru. She was still primarily wearing pink with gems decorating her entire body. Her smile seemed sincere and reminded him of the young woman he met long ago as a child. The only true difference is that she seemed happier in this world.

The three climbed off of their horses and Link had to admit, he was little worried that it would be the last time he saw those three brilliant beasts. "I see the heat is affecting you," Nabooru said in a teasing manner.

"Well, it is warmer here than what we're used to," the king said with a smile. Link immediately became surprised when he bowed before Nabooru. "This is my daughter, Princess Zelda," though seeming confused, the princess lowered into a bow as well, keeping her eyes upon the ground. "And her guardian, Link." Link immediately dropped to bended knee. "Another will be joining us shortly."

When Nabooru didn't reply, Link glanced up. She immediately burst into laughter, "Please, stand, stand!" She personally helped Zelda up and then did something that was very unlike her. Nabooru dusted Zelda's robes! "Do not bow to me. I am not some harsh dictator that demands respect!" She clasped Zelda's hands and smiled at her. "Such a pretty princess." The look Nabooru gave her could only mean one thing: she knew the princess was armed. "I must admit, Harkinian, I was surprised when my messenger told me you wanted to bring your daughter." Nabooru, completely ignoring Link, made her way back to the king.

"One day, my daughter will take my place as ruler of my people. I want her here, not just as a learning experience, but to show good faith in your proposal." Nabooru smiled at the princess once more before she awkwardly wrapped her arm around the king's larger arm. "Come inside, where it should be more comfortable for you and your daughter." Nabooru glanced at Link, but only for a second.

Knowing he was on fragile ground with the Gerudo, he followed closely behind his king and princess. "We have done all that we can to welcome you to our Fortress. We have prepared what food we have and what drinks we've managed to obtain. I'll admit, we even stole a cow, just for this occasion."

"Surely not a cow from Lon Lon Ranch?"

Nabooru chuckled, "Yes, actually! But do not fret. We intend to give it back. Surely we could not welcome the King and Princess of Hyrule with nothing but bread and wine."

"I take it reserves are getting worse by the day?" Nabooru nodded as they stepped into the door of the Fortress.

"With your help, we won't have to rely on stealing." Link grinned as Zelda sighed softly. The inside of the fortress was much cooler than she expected. "We are willing to sell fabrics, jewels, and potions within your kingdom's market. We will also allow _women_ to come and go as they please."

"And all thievery would stop?" Zelda asked.

Nabooru looked over her shoulder with a smile, "That's the plan."

"And what of the water situation?" the King asked as they came into the dining room. Nabooru sat at the head of the table and held her hand out, motioning for them to join her. The king had his daughter sit beside Nabooru while he pulled Link to sit beside him, opposite of Zelda.

"We are hoping that we can find help among your people or perhaps create a new trade that would employ the less fortunate by transporting large barrels of water to my people. Of course, we would pay them. Wine?"

Link couldn't help but notice the look the princess gave her father. He cleared his throat and politely refused. Nabooru seemed disheartened and he knew the reason why: besides milk, it was probably all they had. Nabooru looked back at the princes and once again, smiled. "I am flattered that you trusted our proposal enough to bring your daughter." Zelda smiled back politely, but turned her eyes onto the table. Link did the same, not wanting to admit that he was already quite bored.

Impa, escorted by Nabooru's second-in-command, joined them with little introduction. Though, Nabooru seemed entirely pleased that such an important guard to the Royal Family was female. She praised Impa's physical form and "obvious" strength, all the while, she still ignored Link.

The two continued talking about their treaty for quite some time, but as soon as the sun was beginning to set, Impa handed their king two scrolls. He read them aloud, signed his name, and placed the parchment in front of Nabooru. For a moment, a sadness entered her eyes. But with a weak smile, she signed in both perfect Hylian and Gerudo.

"It is done," Nabooru said as she stood from her chair. "Let us celebrate our new alliance."


	4. Chapter 4

Link didn't know how long he sat there being ignored, bumped into, or passed over. Music blared through the halls and slowly but surely, more Gerudo women flooded into the room, eating, drinking, and conversing with their visitors, minus Link. He didn't mind. Occasionally, he did have to straighten up to give his back some relief, but for the most part, he enjoyed watching the women dance with the king until he was breathless. He finally apologized and sat beside Link, picking up another conversation with Nabooru.

Princess Zelda, on the other hand, was being questioned nonstop by what appeared to be younger Gerudo women. Some placed their own jewels on her while others complimented her dress, hair, or fair skin. Those that weren't swarming the princess swarmed Impa, eager to learn anything they could from the Sheikah woman. Others just seemed interested in having a good time. They danced and sang and talked amongst one another before disappearing. Link suspected that they were returning to their post. Link's eyes were just beginning to burn when a short haired Gerudo caught his attention. She smiled sheepishly at him before making her way to Nabooru. There, she bent over and whispered something into her commander's ear. Whatever it was, it instantly made Nabooru frown.

"Bring her a plate, then," Nabooru said softly. The white clad Gerudo continued whispering, peaking not just his attention, but the king's as well. Nabooru sighed. "Remind her of what she is to our people."

"I did," the Gerudo said defensively.

Nabooru pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed loudly. "_Fine_, Minu! I suppose _I_ will handle this."

Minu quickly looked over her shoulder, which brought Link's attention to the doorway. Another Gerudo wearing white, with spiked hair, paled slightly, then disappeared into the hallway. "Is something wrong?" the king asked, leaning into Nabooru.

Nabooru smiled politely, "You'll have to excuse me for a moment. It appears that my daughter's caretakers are having some issues with her." A jolt rushed up his spine. Nabooru didn't have a daughter! At least, she didn't have one in their previous life!

"Ah," the king chuckled softly and gave her a sweet smile, one that made Link uncomfortable. "Yes, yes, I do know how daughters can be. Go to her. I assume she's not happy about being left out."

Nabooru's polite smile turned into a sweet one. "I won't be long."

A touch of horror seeped into the back of his mind as he watched Zelda's father fondly watch Nabooru. It then occurred to Link that this was, to his knowledge, the first time that the king connected to another woman since the death of Zelda's mother. Link looked over at the princess. She was blushing as an older Gerudo woman placed a bracelet upon her wrist. He then looked over at Impa, only to find her laughing with three armed guards.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" Link jumped at the sound of the King's voice. He turned to him with wide eyes. "I remember when I was a child, my father told me a story about a man catching the scent of a desert rose. He would follow that scent obsessively until he was lured to his death in the barren valley. For years, I never realized that a desert rose was, indeed, a Gerudo woman and that valley was their home. I admit, when I saw one as a young man, I fully understood that story." He winked at Link, who in return blushed and did everything he could to _not_ look at the women.

He finally looked back at the princess and for the first time since they had arrived, Link finally caught her eye. Zelda immediately thanked the women around her, refused something, and then made her way back to the table. Precisely at that moment, three women approached their king, begging them for one more dance. "Look at him," the princess said as she sat beside Link. "He's enjoying every second that they fawn over him."

"Nabooru has a daughter."

Zelda's eyes widened, "How?" Link shrugged. "But...she didn't have a daughter before."

"It must be a result of the change," he told her. "Do you think..." He didn't have to finish that thought. The Princess knew exactly what he was thinking. Perhaps this girl would be the replacement for Ganondorf. Then again, they always thought that about anyone knew. They even once thought that about Ferrin, the cowardly and clumsy Knight.

While several gasps echoed through the room, what really grabbed his attention was the fact that every Gerudo fell to bended knee. Their heads were not bowed but instead, looked up as if they were seeing something majestic. The four strangers looked in the same direction and what they saw was a young woman. She was dressed exactly like her mother with only three noticeable differences: her top was more like a guard's top and her entire outfit was a light shade of blue. Her face was hidden by a mask and a veil, revealing only her eyes, which were downcast at the moment.

Nabooru held her jeweled hand out and daintily, her daughter took her mother's hand. Once they approached the table, Nabooru smiled. "Harkinian, I present to you, the most precious jewel of my people, my daughter: The Vestal Priestess."

Link was surprised when King Harkinian stood and gave a formal bow to the priestess. In return, the priestess lowered her head and also bowed. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness," said the priestess.

"I assure you, it is an honor and a privilege to be in your company. Please, please, both of you be seated." Her eyes opened only briefly as the king urged her to sit. As the priestess and her mother sat at the table, three guards rushed over, pouring their priestess a cup of what appeared to be tea and carefully placed only fruits and vegetables upon a golden plate. The two women in white stood behind their priestess with their backs against the wall of the stairs. "It is truly a pleasure. Thank you, Nabooru. This shows tremendous trust in the four of us."

Link wanted to look at Nabooru, but he couldn't take his eyes off of the priestess, whom ate with her eyes closed. "She appears to be the same age as my own daughter."

"She may very well be," Nabooru replied, though Link found it to be a strange thing to say. Certainly, Nabooru would know her own daughter's age.

"Perhaps we can arrange a visit? I am sure my daughter would enjoy your daughter's company."

"Perhaps."

"Daughter, would you like that?"

Link finally tore his eyes off of the priestess, but only for a second as he glanced at Zelda. Zelda gave her polite, but very fake smile as she said, "Yes, Father, I would like that."

"What do you say, Milady?"

He could hear the smile in Nabooru's voice as she said to them, "My daughter has never stepped a foot outside of our grounds. She has never been around males." The priestess flinched. "If she were to visit your daughter, then it would have to be on my terms."

"Of course, of course!" the King chuckled. "Say, what is your daughter's name anyway?"

"I apologize, Your Highness, but it is forbidden for a male to speak or even know her name." Link finally looked at Nabooru. Something wasn't right about this situation.

"I must also apologize," Princess Zelda said firmly. "Males make up our Elite Knights. I'm afraid that if danger were to make itself present, your daughter would be seen or even touched by my guards for her own safety."

Nabooru's smile slowly fell into a frown accompanied by a downright hateful glare. "Then I'm afraid she cannot step foot into your kingdom."

Thunk!

A caretaker hurried forward, removed the grapes that had fallen from the hand of the priestess, and placed fresh, clean grapes upon the golden plate. The priestess slowly lowered her head and shook it. "Allow me _this_."

"Please," Nabooru murmured, placing her hand on her daughter's, "Let's not start this right now."

"No, mother. I want to go. I want to see the people and the castle...I want to have a friend that understands what I'm going through."

"The princess isn't going through what you are," Nabooru snapped. "Do not disrespect me in front of our guests."

Link looked at Zelda as she placed her hand upon his underneath the table. "I mean no disrespect by isn't it true that a Desert Priestess is supposed to live her life within the Spirit Temple, readying herself to be the virgin mother of the King of your people?"

Link looked back at the priestess, suddenly pitying her. "Yes," Nabooru murmured, "that is true."

"Why not let her live a little before her life is dedicated to raising the future king?"

Link hardly held back a gasp as the priestess opened her tear glazed eyes, revealing their color to be ruby red. It was then that Link took a notice of the difference between the color of Nabooru's skin and her own. But as quickly as she looked at the princess, her eyes locked onto Link's.

His heart quivered and his stomach tightened almost painfully, an electrical charge raced up his back.

He knew.

He knew in that _very_ moment, that he was staring at the girl that haunted his dreams.

He knew in that _very_ moment, that the frightened girl he had found at the lake was now sitting in front of him.

How he fought to forget her. How ashamed he was that he _did_ forget little things like her name, the way her skin looked. He would bet his life that her hair was silver, like moon light and her ears were not rounded, but instead, were pointed. She stared back at him with wide eyes, both of them were unmoving.

_"She took me away from the other lady; the mean one."_

_ "My name is Arelis."_

_"Link...don't leave me, okay?"  
_  
His heart was pounding so hard and so fast that it was beginning to hurt. Part of him wanted to yank that shawl right off of her to confirm his suspicions. He almost shrieked in terror as the king suddenly burst into laughter and slapped Link upon the shoulder several times, far more forcefully than he needed to. "From man to man," the king quickly whispered, "I would recommend that you not stare so hard at their priestess."

Link's eyes snapped to Nabooru. Though she smiled at him, the hateful glare was still present in her eyes. His faced immediately grew warm and as hard as he tried not to stare at the girl across from him, he couldn't help but give her one more glance. The priestess was smashing a grape beneath her index finger. "I'm apologize," she said softly. The mere tone in her voice expressed her shame for staring as well. "I have never seen a male before."

"If you will allow me to speak," Link immediately looked at Impa. Impa approached the foot of the table and with a fist over her heart, she bowed her head. "I have served my life caring for the princess. I am willing to pledge my life to caring for your daughter while she is in our company."

"That's a splendid idea, Impa!" the king seemed impressed. "Truly, I do not mind if she also has her own guard with her."

"My daughter and I shall discuss it further when the time is right." She stood from the table and gave a sincere smile. Any trace of anger was absent from her exotic features. "I believe our meeting has gone well, but has come to an end. I am looking forward to our business together and tomorrow, I will arrange for some of my women to gather our supplies. We will be in the city as soon as two days."


	5. Chapter 5

**Note: **_There will be some information below the story. I hope that it can answer some questions if you may have some. Also, I'm getting a few requests to put a lemon in this but I won't say if there will or won't be :P Hope you all enjoy.  
_

* * *

Nabooru sat behind her daughter, brushing her long strands of silver hair. "You disrespected me," Nabooru said softly. "You looked at that boy...you questioned my authority."

"I am sorry, mother," Arelis spoke softly. "I don't know why I couldn't stop looking at him." Just from her tone, Nabooru knew Arelis was lying. She was certain that Arelis recognized him as the same boy that they had found her. "I just want to see the world."

"Are you unhappy here?"

Arelis took a moment to reply, then slowly turned to face her. "I love everyone, please understand that. I just...I wish I didn't look so different and I wish I remembered more from my childhood. I wish I could find the other lady."

Nabooru frowned and sighed heavily. "Each time you say that, I feel like a failure."

Arelis frowned. "It's just...I remember the night I was brought here. I remember that I was taken and I know that you were young. Younger than Princess Zelda, even. So...what happened? Why is it that when I woke up, you were older? How can twenty something odd years pass in one night?"

Nabooru placed both her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "One day, I promise, I will explain but now is not the time."

"It never is," Arelis replied. "I am not really your priestess and one day, the others will figure that out, especially when I don't have a son."

"I have already told you, daughter, I have seen your son. You _are_ the rightful priestess." She sighed heavily and placed her hands over her daughter's pointed ears, "Even if you are only a fourth Gerudo, you will have the King."

"Then why can't I see the world first?"

"Arelis," Nabooru groaned and stood up, "Just go to bed. I will think about it, okay? And I'll discuss it with your aunties."

Arelis sighed loudly. "You know they won't approve," she said as she stood up. "I love you, mother. Even if you aren't really my mother...I could have never asked for a better one." She placed a kiss on Nabooru's bare forehead and made her way to her room. Nabooru smiled as she looked over her shoulder, but immediately frowned as she heard her daughter's bedroom door shut.

She sighed softly as she stood up and walked through the temple until she came upon a dimly let room. "I know you two were listening, so tell me what to do."

"Let her go," said Kotake.

"Unless you don't want our great king to be born," said Koume.

Nabooru's brows came together. "Our king is never born through a union between man and woman!" Nabooru nearly shouted.

"Then what does the boy have to do with your prophecy?!"

Nabooru shook her head, "I don't know." Nabooru slowly made her way into the center of the room and sat upon the large pillow that was placed between both women. "I just don't understand how he and she can be his parents. His flesh reflects the pure blood of a Gerudo...not some horrible mixed race between Hylian, Sheikah, Gerudo and..." Nabooru shook her head. "We should have killed her father years ago."

Koume and Kotake glared at her. "She needed to be born, even if his union was an abomination." Kotake growled out.

"I had another dream," Nabooru announced, hoping to take the attention off of Ulysses, the deceased father of Arelis.

Both women rushed forward, joining Nabooru upon the pillow. "Well, what are you waiting for?" Koume asked.

"Tell us, tell us!"

Since the tenth birthday of the Princess of Hyrule, Nabooru had the occasional vision. At first, it was almost as if she, Nabooru, was friends with the princess. She knew that she was to serve a great purpose in life, both she and the princess did. However, as the years passed, her visions became clearer. Tonight, Nabooru was certain that the efforts she made to become an ally of the Hylian King was in fact, merely a ploy in their master plan. "I still cannot see if Arelis is truly our king's mother, but I did see that the boy was there. Link. He was in my vision, but it's as if the time is wrong. He is still young in my vision...and our King has his Queen held captive."

"Queen?" both sisters squealed in delight.

"Yes," Nabooru murmured. "I believe we're going to kill the King so that our King may take his place."

"How?"

Nabooru shook her head. "Now that our treaty is in place, we must send Arelis in disguise as a male. I see her wearing the armor and symbols of the Sheikah. Her face is hidden, as is most of her hair. I believe that she will be the one to slay the King of Hyrule." Nabooru shook her head again, "But this is all so very confusing. The timing of my visions make no sense. How can Arelis give birth to our King if she betrays Link's trust."

"The disguise, Nabooru!" Kotake snarled in that condescending tone.

"It's perfect," Koume cackled. "As this Sheikah, she will gain the trust of all the kingdom and," she slapped her hands together.

"And she'll kill the King, returned to us, and when we're questioned," Kotake finished Koume's sentence.

"Because you know we will be," Kotake interrupted.

"She will comfort this...Link...and become pregnant. We will use our magic to age her son and teach him everything he'll need to know." Koume smiled.

"He'll rule the world," Kotake said with a sigh.

"And _you_, my dear, will have to give us the baby immediately." Koume grinned at her.

"And what of Arelis?" Nabooru asked.

"She will die by our hands," cackled Koume.

Kotake grinned, "Yes. She will have served her purpose."

"Our Lord Ganondorf will be ready to take over the world within three years!" 

* * *

"Are we certain that this is a good idea?" Peris asked, leaning against the wall beside Link.

"No," Link said with a shrug.

"I like it," Kilani said with a smile. The short girl looked down the road in hopes to see the Gerudo arriving.

"You won't like it when the crime rate goes up and you get robbed constantly or stabbed in the neck!"

"Ferrin," the three of them said at once.

The blond soldier with rosy cheeks somehow turned a deeper red and immediately walked away, most likely to go home.

Peris sighed. "I really wish he'd stop being so hard on himself."

"He can't help it. He's picked on a lot," Kilani said, then let out a high pitched squeal. "Look! There they are!"

Much to Kilani's pleasure, Peris joined her side, placing a hand upon her shoulder. The short, red headed girl looked at Peris the same way that he caught Malon looking at him. Link refrained from even thinking about what was going on and instead, joined the two in looking down the road. Everyone seemed confused and highly interested whenever the wagon rolled into the market. Peris flagged the driver down. "Good morning," Peris called.

"Good morning!" Kilani repeated.

"I thought the princess and her father was going to be greeting us," said the driver, her face was hidden, much like the purple clad guards of Gerudo Fortress, though the driver wore the same outfit in orange.

"Something unexpected came up," Peris said, bowing low, "they send their apologies and have told us to help you set up."

"We won't be needing the help," said another Gerudo in red. Link knew this unmasked thief. It was Nabooru's second in command! "I am Aveil and my name is the only one you need to remember. I will be handling any business for now until we find the right woman to run the shop."

Kilani gave Peris and Link a glare before she turned back to Aveil. Three more Gerudo women hopped out from the back of the wagon. "We apologize for not having an actual shop available for you fine ladies, but please know that this stall is in a prime location.

Aveil actually smiled at Kilani and immediately, Link understood why. Kilani was a female and as such, Aveil already had respect for her. The other four women approached the stall and looked it over, speaking quietly in their native tongue. They, too, wore masks and vibrant colors. "So this is ours?" Aveil looked around and nodded, "It does appear to be in a good location. Are there papers to sign?"

"Yes," Kilani blushed and yanked the scrolls away from Peris, whom had opened his mouth to reply. Peris looked at Link as Kilani handled the paperwork. A soft blush adorned his freckled cheeks and Link couldn't help but grin. He remembered what it was like dealing with the Gerudo and he knew that no matter how polite or how much the groveled, there was no way they would be treated with an ounce of respect, unless they earned it just like he once had. "If you'd like help, please let me know! My comrades and I were sent—"

"Thank you, but we have it under control," Aveil patted Kilani on the shoulder and she, along with the other women and the driver, began unloading different things from the back of the wagon. Two began decorating, while two more began organizing fabric and Aveil began working on a sign. He wondered if she was the only one that knew how to read and write Hylian.

"Actually," Aveil looked up from unloading some paint. "We have some important jewels back there in chests. If you two males wouldn't mind watching over them, I would appreciate it." The nearest female nodded in agreement.

"Sure!" Kilani chirped, shooting them another glare.

Link nudged Peris and the two made their way to the back of the wagon. Link's eyes widened as another female came tumbling out of the back of the wagon, right into the arms of Peris. "Priestess?" Link asked.

Aveil looked as though she had been struck by lighting. She dropped her paints and rushed over to the back of the wagon. In sheer terror, Link steadied the priestess and immediately yanked Peris away. The priestess laughed nervously and Link couldn't help but keep looking between a very confused Peris and a horrified Aveil. Aveil let out this long, high pitched breath of air as she gripped her stomach and mumbled something in their native tongue.

The priestess quickly replied and the tone in her voice sounded as though she was complaining about something. Aveil shook her head and wagged her finger, which made the priestess growl something out and stomp her foot. Aveil sighed and looked at Link. "I remember you from the dinner," she said. "I'm trusting you to bring this insane child to your princess, no matter the situation. If not, find that Sheikah woman of yours and make her care for the priestess until we're ready to leave."

"Understood," Link told her, though he could hardly contain the nervousness and excitement that he felt. He looked at the priestess and found her looking around at the people, some of which stared back. A little girl waved at her and sheepishly, she waved back. Link tried his hardest not to smile. "Priestess? Are you ready to see the castle?"

He didn't need to see her face to know she was smiling. "I'd love to!" she said as she grabbed a hold of his wrist and pulled him around the front of the wagon. Aveil shouted in her native language, which made the priestess giggle. "Look at it!" she said in awe. "It's more beautiful than I could have ever imagined!"

* * *

**Notes: **_So that no one is confused, I'm leaving this here. Nabooru isn't getting visions of the future. Instead, she's having visions of the past because she's a Sage—not saying that all Sages have these dreams. She's dreaming of Ganondorf being alive, though there's no way for him to be alive in this time line, which is why she's so confused. I can't go into much more detail considering it would give away spoilers, but I will confirm that yes, Arelis is a fourth Sheikah and it's because of her childhood (we'll get to that eventually) that Nabooru is assuming that Arelis is Shiek in her visions. It's Koume and Kotake that are twisting the visions to fit what they want out of Arelis to create this new...craziness. Yes, Arelis is older than what she seems, but there's an explanation to that as well. We'll also learn more about her father eventually, but I will say that because he was born between a Gerudo woman and a Sheikah father, he was not meant to be King. That would be why Nabooru is confused as to how Arelis is the mother of Ganondorf, which she's not. Before anyone asks: Arelis is technically 31- physically she's 18, making Impa 37 and Nabooru 38._


	6. Chapter 6

**Note: **_If you think I'm being rude for defending my work, please don't read it. If you think I'm being disrespectful by defending my decision in how the story goes, please don't read it. I can't be anymore polite than that. If you have an issue with me, please make an account to contact me and we'll handle it privately and politely. Until then, enjoy the story for what it is.__  
_

* * *

With her arm wrapped around his, the two walked in silence for a while. The view of the castle was now mostly blocked and as such, the priestess had become calmer and less awe-struck. That, however, didn't change how Link felt. Though he wanted nothing more than to question her and yank the cloth that hid her face and hair away from her, Link somehow managed to stay proper and honorable for his guest. He admitted, the mere sight of her arm wrapped around his made him feel like a child again and his heart had yet to stop racing.

"I love it here," she said, interrupting his train of thought. "I love the temperature...and the people seem so friendly. It's very different from what I'm used to."

"Do the men make you nervous?" Link asked, wondering what it must be like for her to be introduced to such a different culture.

"Not like I thought they would," she replied, seeming to smile behind the veil that hid her face. Her red eyes sparkled and just when his heart skipped a beat, she looked away. "They are interesting. I didn't know that males could look so different from one another. Then again, so do the women here. Now, I'm not saying all Gerudo look the same, but...their only differences lie in small facial details and personality."

"Except for you," Link reminded her.

The priestess suddenly came to a stop. She looked at him in the same manner that she looked at him as a child. He wondered if she remembered him or recognized him...then again, maybe he was wrong and this young woman wasn't the child he seemingly rescued. "Even if everyone back home knows _why_ I am different...I do not. What I do know...is that I am not their true priestess."

As her arm dropped from his, Link turned to face her directly. "Are you sure that's something you should be telling me?"

She didn't respond. Instead, the priestess closed her eyes, giggled softly, and continued walking. Link watched her for a moment. Hardly abashed, Link looked her over. Why did the Gerudo walk so seductively? Perhaps it was because she was off-limits, but Link did find the priestess physically attractive. He even grinned a little when he looked at her hair, which had been wrapped with a fine cloth. He was certain that if she had the same red hair as her mother, it would shine through that fine cloth easily. The priestess came to a stop, almost as if she had walked into a wall. He watched as she slowly looked to her right. Even from where he stood, he could see her eyes had widened and with one glance, he knew exactly where she was looking.

The Great Fairy's Fountain was hidden just behind a large boulder. He wondered, did she sense the magic that was there? Link hurried over to her, "Is there something wrong?"

She blinked once, then shook her head. "No," she said softly. "I just thought I heard something..." she shrugged. "Aren't you suppose to be escorting me?" That question was asked with laughter in her voice.

Link nodded and once more, began walking beside the priestess. As he walked beside her, Link took a closer look at the veil she wore to hide her hair. If he looked hard enough, he could see that the outline of her ears were, just as he thought, pointed. Link felt conflicted. When should he approach her about who she really was?

"Princess!" the priestess shouted out. Link was startled as the priestess suddenly ran over to the princess. Zelda had just stepped out of the gates and with a glance at him, she looked back at the priestess in sheer confusion.

"W-what are you doing here unattended?"

"Link's here," the priestess chuckled. "I waited until no one was looking and then I slipped into the wagon to come here. I must say, it's more beautiful than I ever thought it was."

Princess Zelda suddenly paled, "Oh my, what if your mother thinks we've kidnapped you."

A cackle escaped the princess and instantly he was reminded of the Great Fairies. "I'll be certain to inform her of my whereabouts."

"Even so, I must admit that I feel terrible that you're around so many men." Zelda sighed, "Come inside, please. Link, I have it from here. You can report back to the others."

Link bowed his head and though the priestess looked a bit sad to see him go, she turned her eyes to Zelda with pure happiness. Link sighed softly as he turned and walked back into the town. He was pleased to find that the Gerudo had their shop set up and their sign was being hung above it. The women spoke with other women from the town and Kilani seemed like a good friend to one of them already. Peris, however, didn't look amused. For once, he stood beside Rook, Cralen, and Spints—all of which shared the same expression. Clearly, they were insulted and didn't like being treated so poorly by the Gerudo women.

"Look at them," Rook said as Link approached them. "Lookin' down on us men like we're some plague. They won't even talk to the men in the village."

"I was surprised to see them treat the little boys with such kindness," Peris said with a shake of his head. "It doesn't make much sense to hate someone just because of what's between their legs."

"If you don't bother them, they won't bother you. Besides, they'll accept you if you prove yourself to them." Link immediately regretted opening his mouth.

"And how would you know?" Rook asked, flicking his nose with his thumb. "I don't see them treating you any better."

"I wouldn't know about that," Peris said with a shrug. "Their leader, Aveil, she let Link take their priestess to the castle."

"Figures," Cralen said with a snort.

"What is it with you and getting the favor of all these women? The princess, Impa, Malon, and now man-hating-Gerudo Thieves? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you got along with women better than you should...as if you are one."

Cralen and Spints immediately began chuckling. "That's enough," Peris said sharply. "Link is trustworthy. He's defended each of us and has saved our lives more than once. Perhaps you three should think of that more often." And with that said, Peris stormed off toward the new shop.

Link merely stood there, across from Rook, glaring at him as Rook glared back. Rook finally looked away with a stupid guffaw. "Struck a nerve in ya?"

Link's fingers twitched. He wanted to hit Rook...then again, when didn't he want to hit Rook? "Cap'n's looking for you." Rook finally muttered. Without saying anything, Link turned away and continued walking. "You aren't so special," Rook called out. "Stop acting like you are!"

By the time Link made it to the guard house, he wasn't just irritated, he was also very angry. As he was just about to grab the door handle, Link froze. A searing pain entered his left hand for the first time in a very long time. Link quickly removed his bracer and glove only to reveal the Triforce tattoo on the back of his hand. The bottom left part of it was glowing gold, but as he touched it, the shimmer disappeared.

* * *

The princess entered her bathroom with a heavy sigh, keeping her back against the door. Slowly, she lifted her hand and removed her glove. The Triforce tattoo had once again been burned onto the back of her hand and the bottom left part began glowing brightly. As quickly as it started hurting, it stopped and immediately, Zelda knew what that meant. Danger was coming to Hyrule...and perhaps, in some way or another, Ganondorf was returning to their world.

Zelda bit her lip as she placed her glove back on. She hurried to her window and opened it. The climb would definitely take too much effort and time, which would surely await her patient guest. "Stupid girl," the princess murmured. "She could have gotten herself kidnapped or worse."

But with a deep breath and a smile, the princess walked back into her bedroom. The priestess was holding a piece of Zelda's dress in her hand. "I can get you much nicer fabric," she murmured.

"Thank you, but truly, it isn't necessary." The priestess looked at her with a smile and Zelda bowed her head. "Excuse me, but I have an urgent message to give to someone. I promise, I won't be more than ten minutes. Make yourself at home in my chambers."

She didn't wait for the priestess to respond. Instead, Zelda quickly made her way out of her room and as soon as she was certain she wasn't going to be followed, she began running down the stairs. She ran through the castle as quickly as she could, hoping to find Impa or even better, Link. Though she sent Link away, would he return? Did the Triforce return to him as well? Zelda was breathless by the time she reached the castle doors. Just as the guard opened them for her, Zelda sighed in relief.

Link walked in and together, the two made their way to her courtyard where they met as children. "It came to you, didn't it?" she asked. Link looked troubled, but he nodded in reply. "What do you think this means?" He didn't reply. She knew he was thinking about every possibility but in the end, it just didn't make sense! Ganondorf didn't have the power to escape what they did! "Do you think...that it's because of her?"

"Her?"

"The Priestess. During my...previous life, I learned that Gerudo Kings are born to a virgin priestess. Do you think he's going to be reborn?" Link looked at her again with those troubled eyes. "I mean...we could easily get rid of it. We could end his life before it even starts."

"Are you suggesting we kill the child or that we assassinate their princess? Because neither is an option."

Link may not have known it, but Zelda agreed. There was no way she could ever kill such a bright eyed girl, especially if she was unknowingly going to mother the source of prime evil. "What do we do?" Link sighed and looked away. "What? What is it that you're hiding?"

Link sat down on the nearest bench, then slowly looked up at her. "She isn't the real priestess."

For a moment, Zelda merely stared at him, replaying the words over in her head. "How can that be so?"

"She told me herself," Link said, seeming certain.

"How do you know she's not lying?"

Link shrugged. "It would be an odd thing to lie about, not to mention, she isn't Gerudo."

The princess felt relief, "You think so as well?"

"I know so," Link said firmly. "She is Hylian...maybe even Sheikah."

"The red eyes and fair complexion does seem to point in the Sheikah direction." The Princess sat beside Link. "But how could that be? She is Nabooru's daughter. Unless...maybe she kidnapped the girl?"

"Or rescued her," Link added in. "Remember, they don't mind taking in women from other races, especially if it's to protect them from men."

"I know. I'll ask Impa if she knows of any Sheikah girls having gone missing. If she doesn't know, then the Kakariko Elders should know."

"Perhaps...the Sheikah people are stronger in this world," Link murmured. "I doubt they'd ever allow a child to be kidnapped."

"We'll just have to see," she replied. "For once, I'm thrilled about the treaty. It'll be easier to keep an eye on them when they're right under our noses."

* * *

"It was beautiful, mother! Everything was so bright and colorful and the people were so kind! There were children everywhere and children!" While Nabooru enjoyed seeing her daughter so happy, she could hardly pay attention to her from the gnawing pain in her stomach. She, as many others, were hungry and not a drop of food was left in any of their storage. For a moment, she thought about slaying the horses and the one cow, but that would do far more harm than good.

"Mother?"

Nabooru looked at her daughter with a smile, "Yes?"

"You're hungry."

"Yes," Nabooru murmured. "But so are many others."

"Why not head to Hyrule? There is a tavern...they will feed us."

Nabooru wrapped her arms around her daughter's shoulders. "They cannot feed all of us, you know."

"But what are we going to do?" she asked into her mother's shoulder. "Can we not ask for assistance from Hyrule's citizens or the surrounding towns and villages? Perhaps they can bring everyone to help us."

"I'll look into it. For now...it won't hurt us to be a little hungry. Enough, Arelis. You need your rest. You had a very long day." As per custom, Nabooru brushed her daughter's hair and sent her off to bed. Nabooru went to her own chambers and what happened next was something that she dreaded with all of her heart. Nabooru received another vision.

In this vision, Princess Zelda, The Hero, and the Gerudo King Ganondorf, stood together in a triangle. She saw flashes of memories: Zelda being captured, Link slaying a beast that turned into Ganondorf and when her thoughts settled upon Ganondorf, his eyes opened and he roared in pain. The Triforce on his hand was ripped away from him and suddenly, the Ganondorf that was standing with the others turned into another familiar male. He turned into the Half-Breed. Ulysses, standing in the place of Ganondorf, held his hand up, revealing the Triforce of Power upon the back of his hand.

Nabooru woke with a start and was covered in sweat. "Ganondorf...was of the past. And the princess, she turned back time and locked him out of our world. Ganondorf doesn't exist...he isn't real, anymore." Nabooru shook her head. "Kotake and Koume must never know."


	7. Chapter 7

**Note:** _This took FOREVER to write. I wrote about three total chapters, but none of them seemed to fit and instead, belongs in the later part of the story, so I kept those but finally, I came out with an appropriate chapter. I don't know how many times I listened to Great Fairy's Fountain from the 25th Anniversary Soundtrack while writing this, but it definitely set a mood for me :) Hope you all enjoy.  
_

* * *

Link locked eyes with his sparring partner, Peris. Their swords clashed and clanged continuously as their muscles pleasurably ached. Sparring was the closest he had to real combat in years and as such, it was something he longed for. Once upon a time, he would have been eager to earn a few days off, to not worry about carrying a sword around but now? He wanted to feel the reverberation running through his forearms as an enemy attacked him. He wanted to smell their stench and more than anything, he wanted to take pleasure in destroying enemies. But even natural enemies seemed to be at an all time low.

Pesky birds and lowly thieves was their biggest problem within the walls of their kingdom. Even if there wasn't a need for a hero anymore, Link had expected that there would be something to do besides walking around in chainmail with other eager soldiers. And it wasn't like the kingdom was the only place that was calm. With the Sheikah people no longer being a dying race, they took care of their village and assisted both the Zora people and the Gorons when needed. They took care of stray beasts that threatened their villagers or anyone for that matter. Hell, before the treaty, it was the Sheikah that were determined to help Lon Lon Ranch.  
And despite the fact that the Sheikah numbers were much larger in this life, that didn't mean he saw them all the time. In fact, Impa was still the only Sheikah he had come face to face within the castle walls. Upon first appearance, it was easy to mistake the Sheikah people for country bumpkins. They greeted people kindly, with smiles and warm hospitality. They appeared to be simple and trusting folk, though their strong bodies said otherwise. Granted, their strength was often overlooked, simply because of how kind they really were.

Little did anyone know, there was nearly an entire city beneath Kakariko Village

When Peris hesitated because a bead of sweat slipped into his eye, Link let out a yell and charged him. Peris shouted as he was sent slamming into the ground, skidding along the dirt. "Link!" Kilani whined. "That was too rough!"

Rook and his goons laughed in the corner of their headquarters. But Bishop shook her head, catching Kilani's attention. "It was Peris that made the mistake, not Link. Should we ever find ourselves in combat, do you truly believe they'll stop so that we can wipe our sweat away? Peris hesitated. Link took advantage of that. Bravo," she murmured in her soft, almost monotonous tone. "Link is the winner."

"Again," Rook murmured, getting grins from his companions.

Bishop shot a glare over her shoulder at her twin brother. "Are you complaining about his skill, brother?"

"N-no," Rook blanched. "I..." he sighed heavily and stood up, clearly annoyed. "Link puts everything into his training, as if he's in serious combat. He's always acted as if he _has_ seen combat. Why? We're in an age of peace. Hyrule hasn't come under attack and honestly, we might be the best soldiers out there, but that isn't saying much."

While Link helped Peris to his feet, he couldn't help but pay attention to the bickering siblings. Bishop slowly turned to face her brother. "We should always be ready for combat. Eril said-"

"Eril said this, Eril said that. Aren't you tired of it? We're wasting our lives on standing around and escorting the Royal Family." Rook snorted and sat down with a huff.

"Your sister is right," Eril's voice nearly startled everyone in the room. Their leader, large in stature, slowly walked into the room, his hands were clasped behind his back as they normally were. "We should always be ready for combat," he repeated, "but that doesn't mean we can't live our lives. No one is forcing any of you to clock in extra hours. No one is telling you to train instead of returning home. That is your decision. However," he slowly looked around at each and every one of them. "It is very important that we remember that our duty, as the Elite Guard of Hyrule, to put the lives of the Royal Family before our own. Even if we are in an age of peace, we should be willing to give our life for their safety. An age of peace does not mean we should leave our loved ones unguarded."

No one spoke up, though Link did grin when he caught sight of the blushing and starry eyed Bishop. Surely a man like Eril had to know the girl was in love with him. When an appropriate moment of silence passed, he and Eril looked at one another and smiled. "Good job, Link...Peris. Even if Link got the best of you again, Peris, you did very well."

Link gave Peris a smile. "It was fun," he said, which seemed to shock Peris. Link didn't often use the word, "fun."

The two gave a slight bow to one another before they stepped out of the sparring ring. In his own corner, Link toweled off and slowly redressed as Bishop and Kilani took to the ring. He didn't need to watch to know the outcome of the fight. Though Kilani was a dear friend of his, Bishop was the overall better fighter. He sighed softly as he pulled a bottle from the nearby counter and took a long drink of cold water.

"Ah, Impa!" Eril called out in a booming voice. "Come to join in on the sparring?"

Impa crossed her arms over her chest and smiled, "Unfortunately, I haven't. I'm on a very important mission." Link immediately tensed up. Slowly, Impa looked at each and every one of them, "Have any of you seen the Gerudo Priestess?"

Link blinked several times, only to look at his comrades to find them in as much of a confused state as he was in. "No," Eril arched a brow, "Why?"

"According to Aveil, she told them this morning she was going to the castle. They didn't think anything of it, considering she normally goes to the castle, but by nightfall, when they arrived at the castle gates, they were more than horrified whenever Princess Zelda told them the priestess had never arrived. The Gerudo are scouring the city until we find her." Impa sighed heavily, "I was truly hoping that she was here."

"We'll look for her," Rook said loudly, grabbing his gear.

Link's stomach nervously tightened but before he could work himself into a fuss, he thought of one place she might actually be. Link didn't say anything as he stormed out of their quarters and down the stone paved road. He caught a glimpse of a worried Gerudo hurrying through the night time streets as he made his way out of the city. Mounting Epona, Link directed her to run as quickly as possible to the one place he thought the priestess might be. How he hoped he was right.

He passed Lon Lon Ranch and pushed Epona to run faster. If he was right... His heart felt fuzzy and his throat felt constricted. Though he'd never admit it, he felt a little panicked and even more so, he was worried about her well being. Even if she wasn't the girl from his childhood, he didn't want anything bad to happen to such a kind person.

Link held his breath as Epona easily jumped the threshold of Lake Hylia. He pulled on her reigns until she came to a stop and when she did, Link immediately hopped off of Epona and ran to the side of the Laboratory. His heart dropped.

She wasn't there.

Of course she wasn't.

He was stupid to think she was.

With an embarrassed sigh, Link slowly walked away from the laboratory. Just as he was about to mount Epona again, she gave a soft whinny and walked away from him. Link merely watched her as she came to a stop just beside the water. Standing beside the tree that stood upon the small island in the center of the lake, bathed in bright moonlight, was the priestess. He wondered...could she be the girl? She had to be...

Link hesitantly walked along the bridge until he came to the same island. The priestess stared up at the moon with such serenity in her eyes. Slowly, she closed them and turned her face to him. When she opened them, his heart felt as though it skipped a beat. "What took you so long?" she whispered.

Sensing his fear and confusion, the priestess lifted her hands to the cloth covering half of her face and removed it, revealing a smile on her face. She unpinned the shall from what appeared to be her earlobes and when it slipped from her hair, Link couldn't help but gasp. The moonlight made her silver hair sparkle. "You promised that you would never leave me," she said softly as tears rimmed her eyes.

Link hesitated for a moment, as he thought about Nabooru's wish for Arelis to remain unspoiled, but he threw that thought out and closed the distance between them. Link wrapped his arms around her and with a whimper, she did the same. "I'm sorry if you were lonely."

Arelis pulled away from him and shook her head. "I couldn't be lonely. I couldn't be sad. I had to hide behind smiles and that was okay...because I knew if I behaved well enough, one day my mother would let me out into the world and I would find you the first moment I could." She smiled again and grabbed his hands. "Link...was your heart racing when we saw each other at the treaty dinner, too?"

Link nodded, unable to suppress a smile of his own. "I thought you forgot about me."

Again, she shook her head. "No," came the simple reply. "I will admit that I have forgotten much about my young life...but I could _never_ forget you, Link. In that small moment, you became my best friend."

"What..." he sighed softly. "What happened that night?"

Arelis gently removed her hands from his. She walked over to the very edge of the island and sat down, wrapping her arms around her legs as she brought them up to her chest. Link sat beside her, eager to hear her explanation. "My mother and several of her best guards found me. I woke just as we had walked out of the ranch and I fought against them. I did everything I could to get back to you. For three days I screamed and cried until my mother finally sat me down and told me that if I behaved, I could see you again." She placed her hand on top of his and smiled. "I see you."

Link chuckled and for a moment, it felt as though all time had stopped and that it was only the two of them in the whole world. In this lighting...she appeared magical. In some way, the moonlight around her gave her a fairy glow. Arelis turned her eyes to the starry sky and sighed softly. "I bet they're looking everywhere for me."

"Yes," Link answered, refusing to tear his eyes away from her.

"Do you think we should go back?" He wanted to shake his head, to tell her that they should stay here and get to know one another, but hesitantly, he nodded. "I want to stay here," she murmured, "with you." His heart quivered in an odd way; in a way that he wasn't used to anymore. He missed being needed by someone, by anyone. He missed being important. As Arelis turned her ruby eyes upon him, Link blushed and looked away. She was a unqiue child...but as a young woman, she was beautiful, more so than any other woman he ever saw.

"The water is beautiful underneath the moon," she said softly. Link could only nod in agreement. "I wish I knew how to swim."

"I can teach you," he said, standing up with his hand held out to her.

Her cheeks turned rosy as she took his hand and stood up. "I didn't mean now, silly." Link blushed an even deeper red. "Link," he looked at her again. "You must never let anyone know that you saw my face."

"I won't," he said softly and for a moment, he forgot his place. Link didn't think twice about cupping her cheek in his hand. "I promise." How pleased he was when she leaned into his hand and sighed.

"You're my very best friend," she whispered before she pulled away from his hand. Arelis grabbed the long shawl and placed it over her hair again, wrapping it and clasping it around her hair's long length. With one more smile, she returned the matching fabric she used as a mask. "May I write to you? Secretly, of course. No one must know we are friends. My mother would have you killed."

Link almost chuckled, but he knew she was correct. If not killed, he would definitely be imprisoned. He wondered...maybe that was the right thing to do. He knew how to escape and if he were always at the Gerudo Fortress, perhaps he could have more precious moments with Arelis. Knowing that their time was over for now, Link held his hand out to Arelis. Once again, she took it and together, they made their way back to Epona. Gently and carefully, Link helped the priestess onto his horse and with one swift movement, he joined her. To say that his heart was racing was an understatement. In fact, he was certain that if he didn't calm himself from being so close to the priestess, he would faint!

Link couldn't help but gasp softly as she leaned against him and wrapped her arms around his torso. With a soft sigh, she rested her head on his shoulder. "You aren't as comfortable as you used to be," she said with a small giggle.

"It's the chainmail, I promise." And with that said, the two took off on Epona, making their way back to the castle. He wondered, how could he feel so light headed and heavy hearted with someone he hardly knew? With each landmark they passed, Link wondered how bad the consequences would be if he never returned Arelis. At one point, he was even so courageous as to wrap his arm around her waist and inhale the scent of her hair through the shawl that hid it. What a crime, to hide such beauty from the world. But that made him wonder, why claim she was the priestess if she wasn't? Wouldn't that do more harm than good, especially if the real priestess was born?

Link didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to think about what might happen as soon as they crossed the bridge into the city. He wanted this moment to last forever, though it didn't. The ride to the city seemed to be shorter than it ever was and as they made their way to the town's center, Link slowly dismounted and helped the priestess down. He fought not to smile as she placed her hands upon his shoulders and slid off of Epona's saddle.

Aveil ambushed them immediately, demanding to know where she was, why she left, and so on. They thanked him, they said farewell and sadly, Link could do nothing but watch as Arelis climbed into the Gerudo wagon and was once again, taken away from him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Note:** _:3 Betcha didn't expect another chapter so soon! Well, like I said, I had a few written up and this was one of them that I just had to tweak a little for it to work. I'm pleased with it. It's slow, I'll admit, but it's leading up to something kind of awesome. Mooohoohwahaha! *rubs hands together* I had a lot of fun with this chapter and I hope you all enjoy it.  
_

* * *

With anxiety and excitement coursing through him, Link was the first in the barracks to wake up. He cleaned up quickly and made his way into the city, anxious for the arrival of the Gerudo. As usual, people were out and about as soon as the gates opened. The Gerudo wagon rolled in and several women climbed out from the back, tending to their little store. It was only as his lungs began complaining for air that he realized he was holding his breath and it was as he took that breath that Link realized no one else was inside that wagon.

Aveil gave him a nod when she caught him watching them and returned to work. Hesitantly, Link walked over to her. She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed heavily. "It's beginning to get cold," she murmured.

"Autumn is just beginning," Link said, watching the workers set up their wares.

"We'll have to adjust quickly," she said softly. "Now, I don't suppose you're here to ask about our priestess, are you?" Link refused to answer and refused to make eye contact with her. "I didn't need to be a mind reader to be able to tell that there was something between the two of you. She trusts you...and honestly, I trust her to be honorable to her role among our people." When he didn't reply, she continued. "That isn't the reason she hasn't come, Link. Nabooru fears for her safety out in the world. If there is anything that's more terrifying than a man becoming close to our priestess, it's the idea of her being in the world unattended."

"Why?" Link asked.

Aveil frowned, "Among our people, a priestess should never need to lift her hand to defend herself. She will _never _be in danger."

Link stared at Aveil with disbelief. "I thought _all_ Gerudo women were warriors."

"Except our priestess," Aveil said in a tone that made Link suspicious. Did she know that Arelis wasn't the actual priestess? Or did she just think it was foolish that the priestess wouldn't have any training?

"Does this mean that the priestess will no longer visit the city?" Aveil only nodded and shivered again. "The princess will be saddened to learn this."

Aveil shook her head, "The princess and her guardian can visit as much as they like...and you can tell her that yourself."

Link nodded, "I'll be back in a moment," he murmured, to which Aveil hardly acknowledged. Link walked over to the tavern and ordered several hot teas and flavored warm milk. Carrying them on a tray, he returned to the Gerudo women. The five women stared at him for a moment, then gladly accepted the tea, hesitant to try the milk. It was Aveil that placed her tea cup down and grabbed the milk. "I have never heard of such a thing," she said, seemingly tickled by the mere idea of flavored milk.

The four women watched Aveil with curiosity, but just as Link thought, Aveil took a sip and immediately moan and smiled. "This is wonderful!" Aveil said and just like that, he was now holding half empty tea cups while the women sipped and giggled over the milk. It made Link smile to see how happy they became over such a small thing. "Thank you," Aveil said with a smile. "We're much warmer now."

Link nodded and continued standing there with the cooling tea until each woman was finished with her warm drink. Each thanked him and smiled, which was quite refreshing. And though he knew he should feel thankful that Arelis was being taken care of, there was an immense sadness that they wouldn't be seeing each other again. He wondered, would he be able to go see her if he wanted? He didn't think about it for long, because another thought entered his mind: Zelda would want to know about her friend.

Link nodded at Aveil as he walked by and made his way to the castle. As soon as he walked in, he found a sleepy looking King approaching the throne and being prattled at by his advisor. "Link!" Zelda was just coming out of the hallway to the right. "Good morning."

"Good morning," he replied with a nod.

"Is something wrong?"

"No," Link murmured, "Aveil has sent me to tell you that Arelis won't be returning to the city any time soon."

Zelda blinked several times as her brows came together, "A-Arelis? Who might Arelis be?"

Link stared back and after a moment, it dawned on him that _no one_ knew her name. He wondered if the Gerudo were allowed to know her name. Link cleared his throat and fought not to blush, "The priestess, I mean."

And though he expected a surprised reaction, he wasn't entirely shocked when Zelda didn't react. "Her name is Arelis?" Link opened his mouth, then shut it. "Link, how do you know that?" He tried thinking of an excuse, but before he could even reply, she continued, "I do know that it was you that rescued her and thank you, of course, but how? How did you know exactly where to go and why would she tell _you_ her name but not me? I thought it wasn't allowed."

Slightly irritated, Link refused to answer the questions. "You and Impa are allowed to visit her as much as you'd like."

He turned to walk away, but Zelda grabbed his arm. "Link, answer me."

Link glared for a moment, then turned to face her. "She was the child I met...the one you told me I must have imagined."

Zelda immediately let go of his arm. "I...is she really?" Link nodded. "Wow. That's...that's odd." Zelda cast a glance around them and then stepped closer to Link. "Do you know what this means?" Link shrugged. "She wasn't in our past. She, like so many others, is a direct result from Ganondorf not being in our world."

"What are you two whispering about?" the King boomed from his throne.

The princess spun around, "Oh, um...Link was just telling me that Nabooru and I have been invited to visit the priestess, but it appears she won't be coming back to the city any time soon."

"What?" the King exclaimed. "It wasn't our fault she walked off on her own!"

"That may be so, father, but if I did the same you wouldn't be happy either." The king stroked his beard and nodded. "I would like to go with Impa as soon as possible," the glance she gave him seemed suspicious, "to check on her well being."

"I'm sorry, dear, but Impa has something to do today. If they don't mind Link taking you, then perhaps you can still go." Link felt ashamed at how thrilled he was at the mere idea of being able to see Arelis. It also gave him a chance at proving himself to the Gerudo again and perhaps receiving the token of acceptance.

"Perhaps Kilani or Bishop would be a better choice, considering they are female," the Royal Advisor said aloud, rubbing his hands together.

"No," the princess said, lifting her nose in the air. "Link will take me." 

* * *

"He's no Ganondorf, but he _is_ a loud mouth. Honestly, he speaks for my father as though _he_ were king! And the way he looks at me," Zelda sighed. "You'd swear he was going to marry me."

"Which reminds me," Link asked, "has your father found a suitable husband?"

The princess turned crimson and shifted on her horse. "There are several candidates, though I don't want someone to be chosen for me."

"I know," Link said as they crossed the border into Gerudo Valley.

"There's a Sheikah boy he's considering and has been talking to Impa about. I feel like that's where she is today—talking to that boy. Supposedly, my father's also reaching out past Hyrule." Link looked at her, only to find the red blush remaining, "But right now...he's really interested in two young men from the Elite Guard."

Link's brows shot up. "Is that so? Peris and Rook?"

"Something like that," Zelda murmured. "I'm not ready to marry, but I do understand that he wants to see me married to someone that will care for me before he becomes too ill." Zelda shrugged. "I always wanted to rule on my own for a while...and then I'd marry on my own."

"I understand," Link murmured. "I haven't even thought of it for myself, truthfully."

"We're too young to do so, I think."

Link nodded in agreement and for the rest of the trip, the two remained quiet. He had to admit, he was a little worried that he might be one of the chosen men and how very awkward would that be? He and the princess came to a stop at the bridge as a Gerudo sat upon her horse across from them. Nabooru blinked several times and crossed the bridge, bringing her horse to up to them. "What are you doing here?" she asked softly.

"We were told by Aveil that we were allowed to see the priestess," the princess said in a gentle tone.

Nabooru shook her head. "I didn't think you'd come today. The priestess isn't feeling well," she said firmly. "She won't be coming out today, nor will she be receiving visitors. I apologize for the inconvenience."

"So...where are you heading?"

Nabooru smiled at Zelda's question. "To see your father, of course. He and I have much to discuss."

"Do you mind if I ask what you wish to discuss?"

Nabooru shifted on her saddle, glanced at Link, and shrugged. "I don't mind. I would like his aid in speaking to the Zoras."

"The Zoras? Why?"

"Well, my advisers and I were speaking when he came to the conclusion, who knows the water best? Zoras do. Too many people have gone into the mountains and haven't come out. I fear they are swept up and are drowned in the water's current." She genuinely seemed upset. "I just feel that the Zoras may be the answer. Even if they can't do anything, if they can retrieve the bodies of our loved ones...that alone would help."

Zelda nodded. "You can ride back with us."

Nabooru smiled again, "I would like that."

The three turned their horses and had them walk side by side as they made their way back into Hyrule field. "I must admit," Zelda murmured, "I think it's a wonderful idea, Nabooru."

"Thank you." She replied. "My fear is that if I approach them directly, they will be frightened or refuse to help. I must admit, I do realize that my people don't have the best reputation in the world, but...with time, people do change." Zelda nodded and Link couldn't help but silently agree. "Even if it's not done for me or my people, I would like to think that the Zoras would help your family."

Zelda nodded. "We'll do everything that we can," Zelda smiled at her. "I must admit, Nabooru, I was very nervous when your vendors set up their shop in the city, but I am happy that they have. I must also say that I am happy to have your daughter as a friend as well."

"Indeed," Nabooru said, "My daughter has not been this happy in a very long time. She craves knowledge, but there is only so much that we can provide for her." She sighed heavily. "I cannot believe that she walked to Lake Hylia unattended. But that's my daughter for you. She would run through fields of fire just to get what she wanted."

"Perhaps she and I can plan trips together. I know the land very well and I'm sure my father wouldn't mind lending us guards, or if you'd like to lend out some of your own."

Nabooru chuckled. "When she is feeling better, I shall see."

But Link felt that wasn't true. He hardly listened to the two women talk as he allowed himself time to think. If Arelis wasn't the real priestess, then why was she being portrayed as one? He wondered...if he was right and Arelis was part Sheikah, maybe he could figure out who her parent was. Link immediately snapped out of his thoughts as Zelda let out a shrill laugh.

"I mean no offense at all, but it just sort of hangs there like a boneless thumb! What's attractive about that?" Link turned crimson as Nabooru and Zelda looked at him. With a groan, he did his best to tune out the conversation, which was hard considering the two kept laughing and giggling at the expense of making light of the male body.

As the three finally made it to the city gates, Link noticed that something was very, very wrong. "The guards are missing," Zelda said, speaking his thought out-loud. "Why..._FATHER!_"

The three of them whipped their horses into a sprint. Villagers quickly ran out of their way, but if there was one thing that was clear, it was that something was wrong. He caught a glimpse of the Gerudo store and saw that there was only one woman there. Were they attacking or were they defending? Fear engulfed him and Link pushed Epona to run faster. He brought Epona to a skidding stop just outside of the gates, launching himself off of her. He was sprinting into the castle not a moment after landing on the ground. Coming to a stop, his stomach tightened and his heart began pounding.

A Gerudo woman sat on the floor of the throne room as another lay in her arms, obviously dead. Dead soldiers surrounded her and blood was splattered against the walls. Kilani was hunched over an unconscious Ferrin, pushing down on what appeared to be a wound. The Gerudo looked at Link with her bloodshot eyes and immediately began crying again, just as Nabooru and Zelda joined him. "How can one person do this?!" she shrieked, clenching onto the woman's body.

"Who did this?!" Nabooru suddenly roared.

Kilani looked over her shoulder, her bottom lip trembling. "Princess..." she hiccuped. "I don't know why...but she killed anyone that got in her way. Your father's upstairs with the others. You have to go to him through the hidden paths and quickly. She's too skilled for us."

"Who? Who is?!" Zelda demanded.

Kilani shook her head and muttered the name he expected least, "Impa."


	9. Chapter 9

**Note:** _Well, the story is coming along nicely. I'm excited to finally execute this idea and don't worry, everything will come to explain itself. I'm sorry if there are any mistakes, I wrote this in a hurry.  
_

* * *

With every beat of his heart, with every breath he drew, Link just couldn't push his body to run quick enough. Though he normally had a clear mind heading into battle, Link couldn't shake the intense confusion. Why would Impa attack the king? What would make her want to become an enemy to the Royal Family? Was she acting out on her own or were the other Sheikah planning attacks as well?

Link felt sick, though he'd never admit it. Impa was the closest image of a mother that he had in his life. He didn't want to think of her committing such crimes. "That's the door!" Zelda shouted from behind them.

Nabooru didn't need to be told anything else. She sped up in front of Link, easily and silently outrunning him. Nabooru kicked down the doors and disappeared into the room. A gasp escaped him as Bishop was sent slamming against the wall. Link could hear several distinct voices: Peris, Eril, and now Nabooru. Were the others dead? Or were they injured? "Check on her," Link called over his shoulder as he ran into the room, withdrawing his weapons.

His heart quivered violently as he saw Impa engaged in combat with Peris and Eril. An injured Gerudo woman stood guard over Zelda's unconscious father. With a loud, "Ha!" Impa spun around and threw something directly at Zelda. Zelda and Bishop both let out a cry of pain and immediately, Link came to a stop. The two women were coughing and rubbing their eyes. Nabooru snarled as she lurched toward the side of the room. She grabbed a spear and snapped it in half, swirling it just as she would two swords. "Give up!" Eril shouted.

Impa rotated her daggers in her hands and turned quickly, swiping at Eril's chest as Peris charged her, but just as quickly, she jammed her other dagger into Peris's arm. Nabooru then attacked, kicking Impa hard enough to send her skidding along the floor and it was then that Link realized that something wasn't right about Impa. The way she immediately got to her feet and engaged Nabooru didn't seem like Impa and to top that off, she was wearing a mask.

"Don't just stand there!" Peris shouted at him. "Fight!"

Link gripped his sword and took a step back. He rose to his tiptoes, ready to charge Impa whenever she did something that was down right amazing. Impa landed several kicks against Nabooru and when Nabooru grabbed a hold of her leg, Impa somehow managed to brace herself and kick Nabooru several times in the face until Nabooru let go and stumbled back. Impa then used Nabooru as a stepping stool, launching herself at Peris. She punched, kicked, and sliced at him, but Peris barely blocked the attacks. As if sensing Eril, Impa suddenly arched her back, hardly missing his blade.

Link used this opportunity to charge into the battle. He slammed his shield against her, knocking her into Peris, who immediately dropped his weapons and attempted to subdue Impa. Impa proved that she was still a force to be reckoned with, because she kicked Eril several times and even attempted to shove against Link's shield. She snarled, but another growl of frustration caught his attention. Nabooru immediately stood up and spun around, cracking the broken spear against Impa's masked face.

"That's enough!" Eril shouted.

Link gripped his sword, ready to impale her if needed. Impa brought her legs up to her chest and with one huff, she threw them back onto the floor, using the force to throw Peris off of her. With one quick movement, Impa jumped back and grabbed a large, decorative vase and with strength unlike her, Impa lifted it easily and chucked it at them. Link hardly had time to react as he stepped out in front of Nabooru and shielded both of them. The vase, having been made of pure stone, shattered against his shield but not before knocking both him and Nabooru to the ground. With a huff, Link quickly rolled away from Nabooru only to find her unconscious with pieces of the vase embedded in her shoulder. A large gash was bleeding heavily above her eyebrow. The injured guard twitched, but continued to stand guard in front of the king.

Link rose to his feet but only in time to see Impa shove her dagger into Eril's stomach. Though he grunted, Eril shoved his own sword into her side. "Stop it!" A blinded Zelda shrieked. "Please, Impa, stop it!"

"Listen to the princess!" Eril snarled. "You helped to raise her and now you're going to kill her?!"

A throaty chuckle escaped Impa and with another swift movement, she sliced his throat open with her other dagger. "Eril!" Peris shouted, attempting to tackled Impa. Impa jumped over him and her body jerked. She suddenly turned to the princess and crouched down.

"_Eril?!_" Bishop shrieked in terror. "What's happened?!"

Without a sound, Link immediately rolled in front of Zelda, holding his shield up in front of her and Bishop. "She's blinded us!" Zelda hissed. "It burns too much to open my eyes!"

"She got me, too!"

Slowly Link stood, bracing himself just in case Impa attacked, but as he stared directly at her, Link saw something that he had never seen before. The blacks of her eyes were the same shade of her red eyes and something seemed distinctly different about her. Link didn't care. Whether this was an imposter or not, he had to handle this himself. Link attacked her and much like his own shadow in the Water Temple, she dodged and blocked every one of his moves, even using his sword to jump over him. Link spun around, landing an attack against her. She grunted and stumbled forward blood spilled from her back. With an angry glare, she turned and faced him, spinning her daggers in her blood covered hands. She charged him, which he dodged easily and shoved his sword into her thigh.

Impa grunted loudly. "Don't kill her!" Zelda shrieked. "Please, don't kill her!"

Link ignored Zelda's heart wrenching cries as he attacked Impa. This time, she had a hard time blocking him as she slowly stumbled backward. Impa glanced at the princess and even though she wore a mask, he could see her grin as she lifted a dagger and chucked it at the princess. Link gasped as the dagger sped past Zelda, slicing her cheek.

It was a distraction! Impa jumped through the window and without thinking about it, he followed. Impa didn't seem to care if she got hurt as she rolled down the steep roof. Link braced himself as he slid down after her, but as he slammed down on the next section of roofing, he watched as Impa jumped inhumanly from peak to peak and landed on the ground, her blood splattering against the stone walkway. Link immediately equipped his bow and pulled an arrow taught, regrettably releasing it. It sunk deep into Impa's back, sending her stumbling, but with a small explosion and a thick cloud of smoke, she was gone.

"Damn it!" he cursed. Carefully, Link maneuvered his way down the castle, taking notice in guards and medics running into the castle. Though it should have brought him comfort, it didn't. After all, who could they trust now that one of the most trusted individuals in all of the kingdom had betrayed them?

Link took a look at Impa's blood and his stomach tightened. She was losing too much blood to make it far, but where would she have gone off to? Link didn't have time to wonder. He immediately ran back into the castle, making his way back up to the King's private quarters. "Wrap the bandages tightly!" the medic said loudly. "We have to get the bleeding to stop!"

Link first looked at the two women beside the princess and Bishop. Both were having their eyes rinsed by a white liquid, though Link had a suspicion that the tears that both of them wept were also doing the job. He then looked over at Peris. The normally confident young man stared down at Eril in horror as tears silently dripped down his face. Rook, Cralen, and Spints were all being woken from their unconscious state.

Link looked over at the injured Gerudo woman. She looked humiliated as guard after guard thanked her for protecting the king while Nabooru tended to her injuries, ignoring her own. The king coughed heavily and wheezed, but with a drink of water, his breathing returned to normal. "W-what happened?" he asked, still seeming confused.

"Impa attacked you," Peris said softly, montonously. "She's killed Eril."

"Hush!" said the plump medic. "We may just be able to save him!"

"Zelda?!" the king shouted as he bolted upright and immediately made his way to his daughter.

"Oh, father!" Zelda cried, opening her blood shot eyes. "This can't be!" she shrieked. "Impa would never do this! Father, this must be a terrible nightmare!"

"I'm not convinced that it _was_ Impa," Link murmured. He gasped and doubled over as Peris suddenly punched him in the gut.

"Of course it was!" Peris snarled. "You saw her! You fought her! Who the hell else would it be?!" Link didn't say anything else as he stood up. Instead, he walked over to Nabooru and knelt down beside her and the other Gerudo woman.

"You should have your wounds tended to."

"I'm fine," she said bitterly, dabbing at her guard's bloodied lip. "Just catch that bitch before I do."

"N-Nabooru?" the king stared at her in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"I was coming to see you," Nabooru said as she wiped at the blood dripping down her face. "I didn't expect this."

The King hesitantly reached out to Nabooru, wiping at her blood with his sleeve. "Thank you for protecting my daughter."

Nabooru shook her head, "I was hardly a help. Please know that if you do not find the Sheikah woman first, I will have my people track her down."

Link suddenly felt guilty. If he had aimed to kill, she would be dead right now. "Do not worry. I will see that no Sheikah steps foot in our city until Impa is found and imprisoned."

It took hours for everything to calm down. Bodies were being brought out to the field in front of the castle for identification while family members were being notified. Nabooru and the others took their deceased companion and returned to the desert where Link feared they would devise a plan to kill Impa. Though it had seemed as though there were no survivors, there were more than expected and those surviving individuals ended up in the infirmary. Eril was resting in the infirmary, but no matter how many potions they forced upon him, nothing worked.

The members of the Elite Guard now stood around the infirmary bed, looking down at their dying commander. He didn't wake and his breathing continuously got worse. Night had fallen by several hours before Eril's eyes slowly opened. He looked around at all of them and smiled. "It takes me dying to stop you all from fighting?" When no one replied, he murmured, "It wasn't Impa."

"We all saw her there," Bishop whispered, attempting to hold her tears back.

"I know her," he slowly shook his head. "It wasn't her. If it was," he gasped for air, "then she was controlled by something." Though Link agreed, he didn't speak up. With a trembling hand, Eril reached for Bishop's hand. She gasped softly as she grabbed his hand and placed her face against it, "I'm...sorry," he whispered, causing the tears that Bishop so desperately tried to withhold to finally fall. She whimpered and shook her head. "I love you, too."

Bishop let out a whine as Eril's hand dropped from hers. Rook wrapped his arms around his sister as she began wailing, which was a sight he never wanted to see. It may have been unspoken, but everyone knew of Bishop's love for Eril and even if it was a secret love, everyone hoped that the two would one day marry. Unable to stand the sheer heartache of losing his mentor and seeing a friend so very heartbroken, Link walked out of the infirmary. He walked out of the castle and just as he thought, he found the princess shrouded in her cloak, waiting for him.

"I'm going with you and there's nothing you can say that will change my mind. I know in my heart that Impa hasn't done this and do not forget that I can take care of myself if I need to." Zelda took the stance of Sheik as if to support her argument.

"I wasn't going to try to change your mind, Zelda. If Impa did this, then you need to come to terms with it."

Zelda turned away from him and began walking down the path. "Do you think she did it?"

Link slowly nodded and that, it seemed, was all it took for Zelda to calm down. They walked through the chilly night to the secret exit of the city. There, they carefully crossed the moat and continued on to Kakariko Village where both were shocked to see the entire village had gathered in Kakariko's courtyard.


	10. Chapter 10

**Note:** _Ready for some intense suspense? Well, don't be! But that's coming soon so you can still be excited if you aren't already :D But seriously...enjoy the chapter. It's a filler, I'll admit, but it's just getting the ball in motion. _ None of you will suspect what's coming next! Bahahaha!_

* * *

Link and Zelda dismounted their steeds and hesitantly made their way closer to the center of Kakariko Village. Link's fingers twitched, as he was ready to make a grab for his sword and shield at any moment.

"Princess Zelda," Link came to an immediate stop in front of the princess. The crowd of Sheikah people moved aside for the Chieftain of Kakariko Village and the Sheikah Tribe. "We have heard word of the tragedy that has taken place." The large, muscled elder lowered himself to bended knee and bowed his head. "Impa's betrayal has saddened all of us so very deeply. She has not spoken a word of it to anyone. We assure you, our loyalties lie only within your family."

Every Sheikah, young and old, mimicked their leader in stance. Zelda placed a hand on Link's shoulder and stepped out from in front of him just as the oldest tribe member walked forward and carefully lowered herself onto bended knee, using her cane for support. "I cannot speak for my father in this matter," she spoke loudly. "But know that _I_ am on your side. I do not believe that it was Impa behind the attacks. I believe that something evil has a hold on her. Please...the best thing you can do is find her and bring her to the castle where she will stand trial for her crimes."

Zelda looked around at the crowd with glossy eyes. He knew her heart was breaking. She knew these people better than any citizen of her own city. Her eyes met those of the young man that was considered to be a possible husband for her. The young man closed his eyes and shook his head, as if her were in pain. Link wondered, what would happen to the ties of the Sheikah people now that it was tainted by the actions of one person?

"Rise," Zelda said softly. "I will do what I can...I promise."

Loud cheers woke Link with a start. Before he even had time to wonder what the noise was about, Kilani threw open his chamber door. "The Sheikah have caught Impa! They're bringing her to the castle!"

Kilani shut the door quickly as Link hopped out of bed and hurriedly dressed. He ran through the halls, catching up to Kilani. In a hurry, they made their way to the street and what Link saw disgusted him. Impa was being carried upon a flat wagon. Her wrists and ankles were bound to the flat surface of the wagon while ropes fastened to spears were wrapped around her throat. Sheikah walked around her, as if guarding the citizens in case she attempted to escape. That didn't stop the citizens from pelting her with whatever they could get her hands on. The worst part was seeing the guards react to her.

They shouted at her, some spit on her, others were being held back from attacking her. "They should kill her!" Rook snarled, trembling in sheer rage.

"She'll die for her crimes!" Peris said in a matter-of-fact tone. "There's no way the king will let her get away with what she's done!"

Cralen and Spints yelled obscenities and soon, Rook joined in, followed by Peris. Link looked at Kilani, only to find her sitting near the barrack as she cried into her hands. With a sigh, Link dashed past the crowd and made his way into the castle. It wasn't much calmer there, as every guard on duty appeared to be holding back the rage they also felt. Link understood why, but there was something off about this entire thing. Link made his way to the princess. Zelda was clenching her hands together as she stood beside her father. The king gave him an angry look, but immediately, Link bowed his head. "Princess."

"Now is not the time to talk to the princess!" the king snapped.

"I know, but—"

"_SILENCE!_" the king bellowed.

"Father, let him speak." Zelda murmured with a shaking voice. "What is it, Link?"

Link cast a glance at the king, whom stared intently at the door, awaiting Impa's arrival.

"She may not have done it," he said soft enough that it was nearly a whisper. "From where I stood, I couldn't see any wounds."

Zelda gasped and ran to the door, only to clasp her hands over her mouth and nose. "_Impa!_"

Impa didn't dare speak as she was forced into the doorway by two Shiekah males while two more followed her in. The four men were accompanied by the chieftain and his son. When they forced Impa to her knees in front of the king, Link took the opportunity to make his way around the six men. "Your Highness!" The chieftain and his son lowered onto their knees and bowed their heads while their four guardsmen bowed only their heads. "We bring to you the traitor of the Royal Family and of the Sheikah Tribe as a sign of good faith. Please do not hold my people responsible for her heinous actions."

Zelda—a hair away from becoming a wreck—looked at Link in a questioning manner. Link looked Impa over and from what he could tell, she hadn't seen battle in quite some time. There was absolutely no shred of evidence that she had been the attacker. Even if he spoke up, Link knew that it would be for nothing. Many would accuse her of using potions to heal her wounds. Unless she had a captured fairy on her at the time, there was no way she could have healed without so much as a scar.

Link looked up at Zelda and shook his head. He now firmly believed that Impa was being set up. "I can't be a part of this," Zelda whimpered as she made her way out of the room. Link followed quietly. Once they were completely alone, Zelda threw herself into his arms. "How can we prove that she is innocent? There isn't any way!"

Wrapping his arms around her, Link sighed heavily and looked out of the nearby window. Impa had once shown him how easy it was to break out of the castle dungeon...but knowing Impa, she wouldn't dare try, but the king knew she was capable as well. Where would they put her that was more secure than the castle dungeon? "I've got it," Link said, pulling away from the princess. "Convince your father to keep Impa in the Gerudo Fortress!"

Zelda's brows came together, "Link, they'll murder her!"

"No! They won't! Remember, they'll have to obey your father's word and if he wants her to suffer while waiting for a proper trial, he'll be glad to let her rot in the fortress!"

Zelda looked offended, then immediately looked out of the window. "Do you think he'll even wait before executing her?"

"Of course, he will...once you convince him to wait."

"How am I supposed to do that?" she snapped, glaring at him.

"You and I both know that she is innocent. We have to speak to her, to figure out where she was during the attack, not to mention she has no wounds from the battle. As badly damaged as she was, she would have scars—even if she had taken a healing potion!"

Link couldn't help but smile as the realization visibly dawned on Zelda. "I have to get back in there," she said breathlessly. "I can't let him have a moment longer with her!"

Link waited until she was out of sight and out of hearing when he let out a loud groan. He didn't know what he was doing and he didn't know what the outcome would be. He could only hope that his plan worked. Even if it was not Impa, it had to be a Sheikah based on combat style alone. Slowly, Link made his way back to the barracks where he dressed properly in his Knight's Garb and made his way back into the castle. Fully armored, Link bore witness to Zelda's pleas and was extremely relieved when Impa was temporarily placed within the castle's dungeon.

Both Link and Zelda waited until the most silent hour of night before secretly making their way down into the dungeon to speak to Impa. Impa didn't say anything as they entered the dungeon. He could hear her chains shift as they walked closer. Link held the lantern higher as they approached her cell. "What are you two doing down here?" she asked softly in a hoarse voice. Her eyes were bloodshot as if she had been crying, but despite her downcast appearance, she still managed to smile at the princess.

Zelda merely gripped the bars of her cell and rested her forehead against the opening. "I know you didn't do this," she whimpered out. "Link knows it as well." When Impa didn't reply, Zelda continued to say, "I'm so sorry."

"Don't," Impa said softly, walking as closely to the door as she could. The chain around her right ankle refused to let her get close to the door. "You know I am innocent. I know I am, too. But someone must pay for what happened. I'm willing to wait here and be compliant until I am proven innocent. Fighting and hiding will only give more reason to believe that I am guilty."

"But how will you be proven innocent?"

Impa sat back down on her rickety bench and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure."

"Where were you?" Zelda asked, sobbing softly.

Impa slowly looked up at them. "When my mother died, my father buried her just outside of Lake Hylia. There's a small valley there that is often overlooked. Shrubbery blocks the path, but I promise you, it's there and it's where she and my whole family rests. I was there...but I was alone. Whoever is behind this...they are to be feared. They are evil."

"We'll figure out something," Zelda whispered. "I swear!"

"Zelda..." Impa's voice cracked. "If you don't...just know that I loved you like you were my own. Caring for you mended my heart and got me through a very dark time. Please don't ever forget me."

Zelda slowly let go of the bars and wiped her eyes. "I love you, too, Impa."

"Now, go. I don't want you two to get in trouble."

It took a moment for Zelda to step away from the cell, even then, Link had to coax her. They carefully made their way back to Zelda's quarters and there, she said her farewell to Link and closed the door without so much as another word. Link made his way back to the barracks, where he disrobed and immediately slipped into bed, longing for the sweet embrace of sleep. He felt sick with guilt. When he had wished for something exciting to happen, he didn't expect it would be this.

But that night, Link had a dream.

In the dream, a Great Fairy was falling to the barren earth as ribbons of blood billowed from her heart. He didn't know what it meant, but it pulled at his soul in such a painful way that when he woke with a start, he was frightened to return to sleep.


End file.
